An important note: where you are registered to vote will impact which races and candidates appear on your ballot.

Yes! If you go to school in Texas…

• First, you’ll need to decide which address in Texas is your permanent residence. If you consider your parents’ address to be your permanent residence, you can use that address as your registration address.

• If you would like to register to vote at your college address, you can do that, but you can't be registered both at your parents' and your college dorm.

• If you are registered to vote at a "primary residence" (such as your parent's) that is different than your college address, AND you will not be at your primary residence during early voting or election day, you may vote early by mail.

• To request that an early voting mail-in ballot be sent to the address where you are physically planning to be at election time (school), you must fill out an early voting ballot request application. Click here for the application process.

Yes! If you go to school out of state (but are from Texas, initially registered to vote in Texas, and want to vote in Texas)...

• If you haven't updated your voter registration to your out-of-state college address, and still use your Texas "home" address as your permanent residence, you can vote early by mail.

• To request that an early voting mail-in ballot be sent to the address where you are physically planning to be at election time (out-of-state at school), you must fill out an early voting ballot request application. Click here for the application process.

Yes! If you go to school out of the United States…

• You must request an absentee ballot to vote from abroad. You can do that here.

• When requesting an absentee ballot, contact your county election office as early as possible with any questions or assistance you may need. A list of all county election offices can be found here.

First, CONGRATULATIONS!

You’ll need to update your citizenship status and information with:

• The Department of Transportation

• The Social Security Office

Then, check your voter registration status here.

• If you need to register to vote, do that here.

Make a plan to vote! If you need language assistance at the polls:

• Yes, you have the right to request a language interpreter at the polls!

  You also have the right to bring a language interpreter with you to the polls, if you know someone who has previously agreed to interpret for you.

  Please note that your interpreter may not be:

  • Your employer, or

  • A coworker or agent of your employer

  • An officer or agent of a labor union that you're a member of

  Any interpreter will have to sign a document and say an oath saying that they will not influence your vote, only translate for you. [Read the oath here.] 

Yes! People experiencing homelessness can register and vote in Texas, as long as they meet the following qualifications that apply to everyone, which are:

• You're an American citizen, AND

• You're at least 17 years and 10 months of age, and will be 18 by Election Day, AND

• You have not been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court, AND

• You have not been convicted of a felony.  (However, if you have been convicted of a felony, you can vote if you have completed all terms of your sentence or have been pardoned.)

People who regularly stay at a shelter can give that shelter’s address on their voter registration form.

Your mailing address does not have to be the same as the residence address. You can use any address where you can pick up mail. A post office box, shelter, helping agency, church or a friend or relative’s address are all suitable.

One of the forms of photo ID (or one of the acceptable alternative forms of identification) must be presented in order to vote.

Acceptable forms of photo ID are:

• Texas Drivers License, OR

• Texas Personal Identification Card, OR

• Texas Handgun License, OR

• U.S. Military Identification with Photo, OR

• Texas Election Identification Certificate, OR

• U.S. Passport (Book or Card), OR

• U.S. Citizenship Certificate with Photo

If you don't have any of the types of photo IDs mentioned above, you may bring:

• A copy or original of a government document that shows your name and your address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate;

• A copy of or original current utility bill;

• A copy of or original bank statement;

• A copy of or original government check;

• A copy of or original paycheck; or

• A copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).

• In Texas, your right to vote is restored immediately upon completion of your sentence, including parole and probation, in addition to any fines/costs, or restitution. You must be “off paper,” and meet the qualifications that apply to all voters, which are:

  • You're an American citizen, AND

  • You're at least 17 years and 10 months of age, and will be 18 by Election Day, AND

  • You have not been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court, AND

  • You have not been convicted of a felony. (However, if you have been convicted of a felony, you can vote if you have completed all terms of your sentence or have been pardoned.)

• To restore your right to vote, you have to register to vote by the election deadline. If you were registered to vote before the felony conviction, you will have to register again. 

• If you're registered to vote and confined in county jail, you may vote as long as you're not on parole or probation and do not have any fines related to another offense. You may request a Ballot by Mail be sent to the jail if they expect to be there when elections are held or, if there is a polling location at the jail, you may vote in person.